Formation of selvedges for fabrics



April 19, 1932. w X b R 1,855,122

FORMATION OF SELVEDGES FOR FABRICS Filed Dec. 20, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet l mvzuroa Fndsri'ck W. Alexander,

ATTORNEY April 19, 1932. F, -w. ALEXANDER FORMATION OF SELVEDGES FOR FABRICS.

Filed Dec. 20, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Frederick W. Alexandei April 19, 1932. F. w. ALEXANDER 1,355,122

FORMATION OF SELVEDGES FOR FABRICS Filed Dec. 20, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR Frederick W. Alexander,

TTORNEY Patented Apr. 19, 19 32 UNITED STATES H FREDERICK WILFRID ALEXANDER,- OF LONDON, ENGLAND FORMATION OF SELVEDGES FOR FABRICS Application filed December 20, 1929, Serial No. 415,540, and in Great Britain December 27, 1928.

The invention relates to appliances for forming selvedges for belting or other fabrics by power operated looms, for example in the application of selvedges to the edges of beltmg, the selvedge consisting of a material which is adapted to withstand the wear due to belt forks, flanged pulleys or other rubbing surfaces.

According to the invention, the selvedge w comprises two or any even number of twisted cords laid side by side in the same vertical plane, that is,,in a plane at right angles to that of the body of the fabric. Each cord comprises, preferably, two twisted threads and each thread may consist of any number of separate strands.

The apparatus comprises for each selvedge a drum to which a partial rotation is intermittently applied by a device, preferably of the Maltese cross type. Two parallel sets of holes are provided in the periphery of the drum into which removable pins are placed so that, on the rotation of the drum, pivoted drop levers are raised by engagement with 5 the pins and, in their raised positions, are adapted to be set into reciprocating motion, which by suitable connections imparts a lim-- ited angular rotation to discs carrying the bobbins for the twisted threads of which each cord of the selvedge consists.

In a preferred form of the apparatus, each drop lever is provided with a head adapted to engage, when raised by the pins on the periphery'of the drum, with a horizontally reciprocating block when the block is moving in one direction, but to be released from it on the return movement of the block. The horizontal movement of the drop levers is transmitted by suitable means, for example pitch chains gearing with free-wheels, to the discs carrying the bobbins for the threads.

The blocks may be reciprocated by connecting rods pivoted to crank discs rotated by shafts driven from the driving shafts of the loom.

The bobbin carriers of the cords of the same selvedge are twisted to the same pitch but in opposite directions of twist and all thebobbin carriers are rotated simultaneously.

By. the arrangement of the pins 'on'the drums and the timing of the intermittent rotation of the drums, the twisting of the cords can be effected to suit the other weaving requirements.

In the accompanying attached to a loom for forming a selvedge at each edge of a belt or other fabric Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic elevation'and Fig. 2 a plan of the appliance and Fig. 3 is a detail showing a belting in plan on a reduced scale.

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 show the fabric with the selvedge cords.

In the example illustrated each edge of the belting is protected by a pair of twisted cords,

the cords being laid side by side vertically In Fig. 3, a, a are the I drawings which represent an example of an appliance to be on bobbins carried in the same way by a disc B secured to a spindle m on which is mounted a ratchet sprocket wheel, 0

Ratchet sprocket wheels C G are similar ly mounted, respectively, on the spindles x and m of the bobbin carriers B and B for the bottom pair of selvedge cords. The spindles m, 00 m and 00* are adapted to rotate in one direction only; Each thread a, a etc. may be formed of several strands.

The mechanism is arranged to impart an angular movement intermittently 'to the sprocket wheels 0', C C and C on the spindies 00, 02 m and 00 of the discs B, B and B B carrying bobbins for the cords on the same selvedge; these angularrotations are in opposite directions, so that the twists imparted to these two cords are of opposite hands, enabling the cords of the same pair to lie closely in contact. I V f 'During one to-and-fro movement of the shuttle the thread neXt to the warp at one edge of thefabric will be lifted to permit the shuttie to pass beneath the same and bind it to thevfabric and the thread next to the warp at the opposite edge of the fabric will be out of the way of the shuttle to permit the shuttle to bind the warp threads at that edge of the fabric. -During the next to-and-fro movement of the shuttle the first named thread will be lifted outof the'way ofthe shuttle to permit the shuttle to bind the warp threads at that edge of'the fabric and the second named threads will be. lifted to permit the shuttle to pass beneath the same and bind itato the fabrics The twist imparted to the threads to form the cords themselves is timed, in relation to the movement of the shuttle and the 7 advance of the fabric as the latter is woven,

' bob-bins is obtained as follows Afshaft D, is rotated continuously by a sprocket wheel d actuated bya sprocket chain 03 connected to a sprocket wheel driven by the loom shafting. A sprocket .wheel E on the shaft D rotates a shaft F by means of a sprocket wheel G and chain g; a disc H on the shaft F carries a pin h which imparts an intermittent angular movement to a'disc I of the Maltese cross type secured to a spindle 2' on which are. keyed drums -J,'K each provided with two sets of holes j, 7' or k, 10 respectively, which removable pins Z or the like are inserted. The holes are arranged around the periphery of the drums in two planes at right angles to the axis of the drum.

Thepins inserted in the drum J are adapt-' V mittently raised by the pins. (Z and, when raised, are caused to execute a horizontal reciprocating movement by the following device: r y l On the shaft D are secured two crank discs 0, 0 each provided with an eccentric fpin 3 or 3 to which are pivoted connecting rods P, P Pins 19, p on the other ends of the connecting rods are connected to blocks Q, Q which, on the rotation of the shaft D, move to and fro in a horizontal'direction in guides q 9 The levers M M are provided with inclined notches mas shown in Fig. 1, which, when the bars have been raised by the pins Z on the drum J, are 'engaged by the inclined heads of the block Q" andmoved-to th'eright, rocking the levers N N clockwise about their pivots "m n.

The lever N imparts an anticlockwise angular movementto the sprocket G and thereby to the bobbin carrier 13 by a chain R carried over a guide roller S and tensioned by a spring T A clockwise angular movement a is imparted to the sprocket wheel C and to the bobbin carrier B by the horizontal-move. V

carriers B, B by the levers N,' N "operated I by the drop levers M M the heads of which have notches inclined in the opposite direction to those of M M so that they are actuated by the block Q in its movement from right to left; as the pin g of the crank disc O is in a position 180 from that of the pin 1}, the movement of all the sprocket wheels The chains R, R R and B have one of their ends connected, respectively, to the levers N, N N and N and their opposite ends connected, respectively, to springs T, T T and T The chain R passes around the sprocket wheel C in a direction to rotate such sprocket wheel and the shaft m on which it is mounted in a clockwise direction when the leverN is rocked to the right (Figure 1-) and the chain R passes over the sprocket wheel C in a direction to rotate such sprocket wheel and the shaft 50 on which it is mounted in a counter clockwise direction when the lever N is rocked to the right; Similarly, the chain R passes over the sprocket wheel C in a direction to rotate such sprocket wheel andy-the shaft w by which it is carried in a counter-clockwise di and actuating levers N and N Since the e,

to the fabric.

sprocket Wheels C, G C and C have ratchet engagement with the shafts w, m and :0 on which they are respectively mounted, they are free, when the levers N and N are rocked to the right and the levers N and N are rocked to the left, to rotate such as a, a on one edge of the fabric and a a on the other edge, is caught up by the weft threads a 1n the process of weaving, as shown 1n Flg. 4, which secures the selvedges As shown in Fig. 4, the weft passes round the inside member such as a of one pair of twisted cords at the' left selvedge and then across the warp threads 12 to a point just inside the pair of twisted cords a a at the right edge, returns to a point inside the cord (6, a again passes across the warp and around the inside member a of the twisted cord a a and so on.

Upper and lower pairs of twisted selvedge cords are shown in Figs. and 6, but only the upper cords of each pair a, a and a a bear reference characters.

I claim I 1. In a loom provided with shedding means and weft inserting means, apparatus for forming a selvedge at each longitudinal edge of a fabric, said apparatus comprising a pair of rotatable shafts, a bobbin carrier on each of said shafts, and a pair of bobbins on each carrier for supplying the threads to be twisted together to form a cord, means for imparting rotation to said shafts, said means comprising a pair of pivoted levers, means connecting each of said levers to one of said shafts for intermittently and simultaneously rotating said shafts in opposite directions when said levers are rocked, and means for intermittently rocking said levers.

2. In a loom provided with shedding means and weft inserting means, apparatus for forming a selvedge at each longitudinal edge of a fabric, said apparatus comprising a pair of rotatable bobbin carrier shafts, a bobbin carrier on each of said shafts, and a pair of bobbinson each carrier for supplying the threads to be twisted together to form a cord, means for actuating said shafts, said means comprising a pair of pivoted levers, a sprocket wheel on each of said shafts, flexible means connected to said levers and passing over said sprocket wheels, and means for intermittently rocking said levers to simultaneously and intermittently impart angular movements of the same extent in opposite directions to said shafts.

3. In a loom provided with shedding means and weft inserting means, apparatus for forming a selvedge on opposite edges of a fabric, said apparatus comprising a pair of rotatable shafts, a bobbin carrier on each of.

carrier for supplying the threads to be twisted together to form a cord, means for actuating said shafts, said means comprisinga pair of pivoted levers, a sprocket wheel on each of said shafts, chains connected to said levers and passing over said sprocket wheels for imparting angular movements of the same extent simultaneously and intermittently in opposite directions to said shafts when said levers are rocked in one direction, means for intermittentlyrocking said levers in one direction, and elastic means for-maintaining said chains under tension and rocking said levers in the opposite direction.

4. In a loom provided with shedding means and weft inserting means, apparatus for forming a selvedge at each longitudinal edge of a fabric, said apparatus comprising a pair ofrotatable shafts, a bobbin carrier on each'of said shafts, and a pair of bobbins on each carrier for supplying the threads to be twisted together to form a cord, means for actuating said shafts, said means comprising a pair of pivoted levers, a pair of sliding blocks, means for reciprocating said blocks, each block intermittently engaging.

with and rocking one of said levers, and means connecting said levers and said rotatable shafts for simultaneously and intermittently imparting angular movements in opposite directions to said shafts.

.5. In a loom provided with shedding means and weft inserting means, apparatus for forming a selvedge at each longitudinal edge of a fabric, said apparatus comprising a pair of rotatable shafts, a bobbin carrier on each of said shafts, and a pair of bobbins on each carrier for supplying the threads to be twisted together to form a cord, means for actuating said shafts, said means comprising a pair of pivoted levers, a pair of sliding blocks, means for reciprocating said blocks, said blocks intermittently engaging with and rocking said levers in one dire'ction,asprocket wheel on each of said rotatable shafts, chains connected to said levers and passing over said sprocket wheels'for imparting an-;

gular movementssimultaneously and intermittently in oppositevdirections to said rotatable shafts and means elastically maintaining said chains under tension and returning said levers to normal position.

6. In a loom provided with shedding means and weft inserting means, apparatus for forming a selvedge ateach longitudinal edge of a fabric, said apparatus comprising a pair of rotatable shafts, a bobbin carrier on each of said shafts, and a pair of bobbins on each carrier for supplying the threads to be twisted together to form a cord, means for actuating said shafts, said means comprising a pair of pivoted levers, a continuously rotating shaft, a pair of sliding blocks above said levers and actuatedby said con -tinu'ousl-y rotating shaft, means for inter acent said levers and reciprocated mittently lifting said pivoted levers into 'engagement with said sliding blocks to rock said levers, and means connecting said levers and saidrotatable shafts for simultaneously and intermittently imparting angularvmovements in opposite directions to said shafts.

In a loom provided with shedding means and weft inserting means, ap-

paratus for forming a selvedge at each longitudinal edge of a fabric, said apparatus comprising a pair of rotatable bobbin carriers, and a pair of bobbins'on each carrier for supplying the threads to be twisted together to form a cord, means for actuating said bobbin carriers, said means comprising a pair of pivoted. levers, a continuously rotating shaft, a connecting rod actu-' ated vby said 'shaft', a pair of sliding blocks by said rod,v means for intermittently shifting said pivoted levers into engagement'with said sliding blocks, a sprocket wheel associated with each of said rotatable bobbin carriers,

" chains connected to said levers and, passing over said sprocket wheels for imparting an- 8. In a loom provided with shedding means and weft inserting means, apparatus for forming a selvedgeat each longitudinal edge of a fabric, said apparatus comprising a pair of rotatable shafts, and abobbin carrier on each ofsaid shafts, apair of bobbins on each carrier for supplying the threads to -be-twisted together to form a cord, means for actuating said rotatable shafts, said means comprising a pair of pivoted levers, a pair-of sliding'blocks, means for reciprocating said blocks, said blocks being engageable respectively with said levers for rocking said levers is opposite directions, a rotatable drum, actuated vby said block-reciprocating means, a pair of rows of pins spaced equidistantly around the periphery of said drum, the pins ofeach row adapted to suecessively engage and raisev one arm of one of said pivoted levers into engagement with its associated sliding block to rock said lever, and means connecting each of said levers to-one of said rotatable shafts for simul- V taneously and intermittently imparting angular movements in opposite directions'to saidshafts. 9. In a loom provided with shedding means and weft inserting means, apparatus for forming a se'lvedge :at each longitudinal edge, of a fabric, said apparatus comprising a pair of rotatable shafts, a bobbin carrier on twisted together to form a cord, a pair of pivoted levers each havlng a notch 1n one of its arms, a block having means for engagement with the notches of said levers,flmeans,

for reciprocating said block, a drum rotated by said block reciprocating means andhavin'g pins spaced around its periphery .to bearv against said levers vand bring the notches of the latter ,into the path of movement of the notch engaging means of said sliding block, and means connecting said levers and said rota-table shafts for simultaneously and in- V termittently imparting angular movements in opposite directions to said rotatable shafts.

' 10. In a loom I provided with shedding means and weft inserting means, apparatus for forming a selvedge at each longitudinal edge of the fabric, said apparatus comprising a pair of rotatable shafts, a bobbin carrier on each of said shafts, and a pair of bobbins on each carrier for supplying the threads to be twisted together to form a cord, means for actuating said shafts, said means comprising-a pair of pivoted levers, a sliding block, means for reciprocating said block,a rotatableshaft, a Maltesecross on said rotatable shaft, a drum rotated intermittently by said cross, pins spaced around the periphery of said drum to engage and simultaneously rock said pivoted levers, each of said levers having a notch in one ofits armsand said sliding lock having a beveled end to engage the notches of said levers to rock said le-.

vers, a second rotatable shaft actuated by said block-reciprocating means and having a pinto successively engage and rotate said Maltese cross, and means connecting said levers and sald bobbin GMT-18D shafts for imparting angular movements simultaneously and intermittently in opposite directions'to said bobbin-carrier shafts.

V In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification. V

' FREDERICK WILFRID ALEXANDER.

'7 each of said shafts, and a pair of bobbins on each carrierforsupplying the threads to be 

